Bill > SB0174

This bill amends existing Utah law to protect individuals' rights to refuse participation in certain healthcare services based on their religious beliefs or conscience, while also establishing definitions and enforcement mechanisms for these rights. Specifically, it adds provisions to the "Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs or Conscience" chapter, defining terms like "adverse action" (which includes actions like termination or demotion but excludes reasonable reassignments or actions due to undue hardship or essential job functions), "belief-based health care institution," "conscience," and "health care provider" (a broad category encompassing many licensed medical professionals and their employees). The bill clarifies that healthcare providers can refuse to participate in services that violate their beliefs, and neither they nor their employers will be held liable for such refusals, with exceptions for emergency medical treatment and stabilizing care in emergency departments. It also mandates that providers who refuse certain services must post a notice on their website and in their waiting areas listing the services they do not provide and directing patients to resources for finding those services, and they must also inform the Department of Health and Human Services of these refusals. Furthermore, the bill prohibits discrimination against healthcare providers for exercising these rights or reporting potential violations, and it outlines administrative and legal enforcement procedures through the Division of Professional Licensing and the Department of Health and Human Services, allowing for injunctive relief, damages, and attorney fees for prevailing parties. Finally, it amends existing law regarding refusal to participate in abortions or the disposal of remains from abortions, expanding the grounds for refusal from "religious or moral grounds" to "religious belief or conscience" and clarifying that such refusals cannot be the basis for civil liability or retaliatory action.

Health and Social Services

https://le.utah.gov/~2026/bills/static/SB0174.html